“Who the hell is Abigail and no offense, dude, but you’re name doesn’t tell me jack.” Caleb ignores Gabe’s outstretched hand.
Oh my God! What is wrong with him? This isn’t like Caleb.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I had to make up an animal name for her.”
Gabe’s words slightly crack my anger at Caleb. I shouldn’t let them, but they do because the name still means something to me. I’m too shocked to move, when Caleb steps toward Gabe, his hands fisted. “Fuck you.”
I’m almost too confused to react. Why does he sound so pissed? He’s almost acting jealous which makes no sense. I make myself snap out of it. Gabe’s been nothing but nice to me and he doesn’t deserve Caleb’s freak-out. “What’s your problem, Caleb? Gabe’s my friend.” I put emphasis on the word. At least one of them isn’t embarrassed of me. “I would appreciate it if you’re nice to him.”
It’s almost like a light bulb goes off in Caleb’s head. “She met you in the woods by my house, didn’t she? What were you doing sneaking around out there?” His face is red, he’s so angry.
I open my mouth to yell at him, but Gabe beats me to it, only he doesn’t yell. “I wasn’t sneaking around anywhere, Cale. It’s called walking. Maybe you’ve heard of it?”
“Don’t. Call. Me. Cale.” Caleb practically seethes at him.
Enough is enough. I step forward between the two guys. “Caleb, I don’t know what your problem is, but I have to ask you to leave. You’re being rude to my friend and I’m at work. You’re going to get me into trouble.”
Caleb steps back, making me relax a little, but then he crosses his arms over his chest and I know we’re still in for more. “I’m not going anywhere, Abby. I know everyone in this shithole town and I don’t know him,” his words are softer now. “I don’t trust people I don’t know.”
At first my heart does a little flip-flop because he’s worried about me, but then I remember it’s an act. If he cared, he wouldn’t have walked away from me the other day. “I don’t need you or anyone else to protect me. I’m a big girl.”
Caleb’s eyes lose their hard edge when he looks at me. It’s him I see now, quiet, caring vulnerable. “I know you don’t need me, Kit—Abby, but you definitely don’t need him either. I’m not trying to piss you off, but if he stays, I stay too.”
There’s more to this than some weird, dislike of Gabe. I feel it. This is somehow about Caleb. The way he stressed the word ‘me’ nuzzles its way into my heart, cracking my defenses. But I can’t do it. Not after the way he treated me and not after the way he’s treating the person who’s been so nice to me lately. “Caleb, I’m asking you to go. Please…”
His eyes close and he lets out a deep breath. “I can’t.”
Anger pumps through my veins. “You can’t?” I yell. “Oh, yes you can!”
As soon as the words leave my mouth, I hear the door that leads into the diner creak open. “Abby? Are you okay back there?”
My heart races. Silently, I shoo the guys toward the door. “Um, yeah. I’m fine. Just…singing?” I hear Richard chuckle, then close the door again. “Oh my God! That was too close. Caleb, go. I’ll see you tomorrow or something.”
He opens his mouth to argue, but Gabe interrupts. “It’s alright, Abigail. I’ll go. I don’t want you to get into trouble.” I smile and Caleb rolls his eyes.
“See ya, dude,” Caleb tells him.
I grab his arm before he can walk out. “I’m so sorry, Gabe. I appreciate your understanding. Will I…see you soon?”
He touches my face the same way Caleb did the other day. It shocks me frozen. Luckily, I don’t break into another make-out dream like I did with Caleb. Even though this feels good, it doesn’t feel like Caleb’s touch did. Caleb makes me feel electric while Gabe doesn’t. “I’m looking forward to it.”
As soon as he’s gone, I give Caleb my full attention. “You!”
He holds up his hands. “Not now, Kitten. Unlike that prick says, I don’t want you to get into trouble either. I’m going to sit right by the door until you’re ready to go and we’ll talk about it then.”
Caleb leans against the wall and slides to the floor. Dropping his head back, he watches the ceiling like it’s his favorite movie. “I’m not through with you. Don’t think you’re getting off this easy. As soon as I’m done, I want answers.” With nothing else to do, I go to the sink and finish the dishes.
Chapter Eleven
We’re quiet the whole drive to Caleb’s cabin. This is the first time I’ve actually come by taking the driveway. I bounce in my seat as I make the long, pothole-filled drive, until I stop in front of his dark cabin. When I say dark, I mean dark. Don’t ask me why I’ve never thought about how pitch-black it would be out here at night. I don’t know how he does it, especially when judging by the quiet dark, his father isn’t home.
I turn off the car and flip the switch to keep the overhead light on and wait. He’s the one who owes me an explanation so I refuse to have to be the one to start this conversation. After minutes of silence, he breaks it. “So, you hung out with him the other night, huh?”
Men. Where they always this barbaric? “How did you even find us?”
“I didn’t realize it was a secret.”
I sigh. This is just too strange for me. I don’t understand what’s going on. “Caleb, you know what I mean. How did you know we were in the kitchen? What were you doing there?”
“I don’t know. I was worried. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.” One of his legs is bouncing like a jackhammer. “I waited for you this morning at our stop sign, and then left a note in your locker for you to meet me. I needed to make sure you got to work and when I was walking by I heard you guys talking.”
Our stop sign. I was worried. I waited for you. Part of me wants to do a little dance of, “he likes me, he likes me!” I mean, he waited for me in the rain, but then I remember how he looked at me like I was nothing. How he walked away from me like I didn’t matter. “You expected me to just show up at your house like everything was fine? Like you didn’t pretty much ignore me like you don’t have time for me?” My voice cracks. “Why do you wait for me in the middle of the freakin’ rain if you can’t even talk to me at school?”
“I can’t talk about it.” His low voice cracked like mine and I feel it in my chest. “My life’s too shitty to let you in on all the details.”
“Then why do you care who I hang-out with?!”
He doesn’t yell like I do. Does he feel anything at all? Caleb shrugs. “I don’t trust him. You could have gotten in trouble.”
“I could have gotten in trouble when I ditched with you, too,” I counter.
Caleb shoves a hand through his hair. “My bad. It won’t happen again.”
I want to grab him and shake him. Confusion rips me apart. He sounds almost hurt, but if that’s true, why won’t he just talk to me?
“There’s something weird about him, Abby. I know it sounds lame, but there is.” He grabs his head the way he did with his headache the other day.
“Are you okay?” Worry spikes inside me. “Another headache?”
He completely ignores my questions. “I’m having all these strange…I could swear I’ve seen him—shit, never mind. Just stay away from him.”
His little demand pushes any sympathy I felt away. Hello? Independent woman here. “Stay away from him,” I yell. “Thanks, but no thanks. He’s the only friend I have. Gabe’s nice to me, Caleb. He’s not embarrassed of me. There’s no way I’m going to ditch him just because you want me to. What’s it to you?”
Somehow, my words suck all the air out of the car. It takes a minute, but finally Caleb’s eyes rise to meet mine. “I thought—hell, it doesn’t matter.” He gets out of the car making me feel empty, more alone than I’ve ever felt. What is it about Caleb that makes me feel this way? “I’m not embarrassed of you. I know I don’t have a right to get in your business, but just be careful.” He slams the door and jogs to his cabin. I see him in my headlights, standing on his porch looking at my car.
My heart’s thundering. My hands squeeze the steering wheel. I’m not sure if I’m mad, confused or hurt. Probably all three. I start the car, put it in reverse and peel out of his driveway. Boys aren’t the only ones who can stomp away when they’re mad!
***
“You okay, sweetie?” I stop pushing the cereal around in my bowl and look at Mom. “You look down today,” she adds.
I am down, I want to tell her! Boys are stupid! I don’t even want to eat the marshmallows in my Lucky Charms. But I don’t say any of that because if I do, the questions will come. The worry, concern. Oh, and the crazy, vampire talk. “I’m fine, Mom. Just tired.”
I shouldn’t have let Gabe leave last night. He’s a good friend to me and no matter how much Caleb means to me, he’s the one who should have had to go. What kind of friend am I?
My heart still hurts for or because of, Caleb, I’m not sure. He’d been a jerk, more than once, but there’s more behind it. I know there is. Or maybe I’m just one of those girls I never thought I would be who makes excuses for loser boys. I know better though. Not Caleb. It’s like I know him, but I don’t. I’m not good enough to talk to at school, but he’d been willing to fight a guy over me? I’m starting to think guys are crazy.
“It’s a boy!” I jump when Mom shrieks, guessing.
Huh? “What’s a boy? Are we talking immaculate conception, here?” I push my bowl away from me, angry he’s taken my favorite cereal away from me.